Book excerpt: Bite-Size Arabic is a textbook for absolute beginners designed for both independent learners and traditional language courses. It takes a minimal approach by introducing the alphabet gradually, with just a few letters per lesson. As you learn new letters, you also learn just enough vocabulary and grammar to put them into practice, allowing you to read complete simple sentences right from the second lesson. Everything is explained in simple language, and the book uses big, easy-to-read Arabic script with ample phonetic transcription. It contains lots of easy exercises with answer keys, and you can listen to the pronunciation on the free companion website. The focus is on informal Standard Arabic, the ideal basis for learning any variety of Arabic.